Customer Reviews

Iron Will

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Once in a generation an athlete pits himself against such overwhelming odds, that even the most jaded spectator finds himself cheering breathlessly"...

Iron Will is a moving true-life story about the determination and valor of one heroic young American who sets out to win a 500-mile dogsled race across the U.S. and Canada. Up against seemingly impossible odds, "Iron Will" Stoneman strives on to achieve his dream: to save his parents beloved farm and go to college; and somewhere along the way, the seventeen-year old boy becomes a man.

Although this movie is a bit formulaic and anyone can guess the Disney ending, that doesn't make it any less thrilling to watch; when I first saw this film in the theater, the whole room was cheering him on at the end! Definately worth your time to check out this great family-friendly film!

I was expecting this to be a run of the mill Disney adventure movie, with the hero entering a race at the beginning, you know he's going to win, right? wrong. This is much harder than the typical family films we associate with Disney, without losing the quality. Young Mackenzie Astin (son of John) gives a great performance as a seemingly naive yet brave boy who enters a dog sled race to get the £10,000 he desperately needs to go to college. Nominal star Kevin Spacey wisely remains in the background and lets this young lad shine through. The story has a number of unexpected twists, that interest and delight throughout the movie. Who are Will's friends? Who can he trust? Will he stop to save a man's life if it means losing the race? The cinematography is masterful, both in the close-up work and views of Minnesota countryside (doubling for Canada) The film is also refreshing because the incidental music is restrained, and even absent in some scenes. This would be enjoyed by anyone who likes a good adventure with a touch of realism.

Awesome movie, from start to finish. My family cheered out loud, laughed, cried.....it has it all.

How much of this story is true is up for dispute. I suspect most of it is highly exaggerated. Nonetheless, it is inspirational and fun to watch: an excellent adventure tale.

The movie reminded me of "White Fang" with the winter scenery and the young hero, played by MacKenzie Astin, looking and sounding much like Ethan Hawke. The story was simply about a dog-sled race in the early part of the 20th century.

The picture is beautifully shot, especially the train scenes, and looks very good on DVD. The villains in here aren't as despicable as in other films, so it's more pleasant to watch. I enjoyed the entire story except for the whistling at the finish line which was a bit stupid, but that's minor.

This is one of Disney's best live-action films.

Great movie! "Iron Will" is a great role model for kids. Ignore the critics and cynics: this movie is inspiring. Watch this with your kids and provide a little character building experience for them...a refreshing change from all the other garbage movies out there with which the critics seem so enamored. This film reinforces so many values: play fair, finish what you start, help others, follow your dreams by working hard to achieve them. This is an Awesome A+ movie!

Iron will is great, sled dog enthusiests and kids alike will enjoy the tale of a boy who has a dull hope and a bright dream to save the family buisness, farm and his collage education.

A story of life at its cruelist of the hardships a musher faces in some of the world cruelist territory. An oldie but a goodie and as a sled dog freak one of my favourites even got a couple of good shots of the malamutes...which sadly are the bad guys dogs...

My 16 year old son had seen this movie before and was telling me about it on the way to work one morning, so I bought it out of curiosity. What a wonderful movie. Full of all the things that make a great adventure movie; wonderful for the whole family. Don't miss this one, it's a standout!

Great movie.....We watch it again every year or so and always enjoy it. Excellent family entertainment.

Wow!!! What a nice movie..... I like the excitement and thrill of the movie,,, the dogs wow they are so cool. But there is one scene there that I like most, when the train is coming towards Will Stoneman and his dog! But all I can say to the movie, 100% WoW!

Iron Will (Clam)

During 4 weeks of fine snow, my grade 6 class often had "dog" sled races for phys-ed, as the teamwork warm-up for tobogganing. They loved it and were eager to learn about dog sled races; the Iditarod and others. It even integrated into our unit on Native peoples. As a finale, when the snow was fast disappearing we watched Iron Will. They were impressed with the determination and optimism that Will carried throughout the challenge.